A Rivalry Broken
by thisbookishdream
Summary: A rivalry is broken as two girls befriend each other despite their mother's wishes. Read Ariana and Vanessa's story, where two misfits break a long held battle of heritage between Eris and Harmonia.
1. A Normal Day Alone

A Rivalry Broken

Chapter 1

Ariana's POV

"Is this the end? Does it have to be this way?" He let go of my hand, as I fell into the darkness.

The dream replayed over and over in my head. I have the same one every night. I looked up and saw the Populars about to walk by. Oh no... I thought. I plugged in my earbuds and hoped they wouldn't notice me sitting on the stairs. Their giggles came closer. My plan to go unnoticed wasn't working. I was about to get up when-

"Hey Ariana!" Colette said cheerfully (totally fake). "Uh...hey... Colette."

"Why are you sitting here... All alone?" She smiled slyly. "Ummm... I... I have to go.." I stood up, grabbed my backpack, and walked away.

"Oh, but we were just getting into the fun!" She called after me. I walked faster. It had been like this ever since the last day of third grade.

She had sent me a note saying "let the fun begin". All through the summer, I wondered what it had meant. I found out on the first day of fourth grade. It was like she had...no... You'd think I was crazy...been...Possessed?

My life was changed from a normal little girls life of happiness and friendship to a constant battle between her and I. I was always running, trying to hide. I was a new girl. Instead of happy and creative like I used to be, I was dark and mysterious. I had no friends. It was just me and my music. I never felt comfortable talking to anyone at my school.

A voice tore me away from my thoughts. "Why don't you come with us?" Colette cooed to me like I was a little kid.

Anger filled me up. I wasn't any different from anyone else, was I? What happened next even surprised me. I didn't know what I was doing, but I thrust my hand up to the sky.

Instead of a pale blue, it changed to a dark charcoal colour. Storm clouds filled the sky. Thunder was heard in the distance.

A tornado formed around my finger. I directed the tornado to take a course to Colette. I willed it to grow bigger. It circled Colette. Her face twisted into a worried frown.

"What are you doing?" She screamed as the wind picked her up and forced her around the tornado. I couldn't control it any longer. It was getting too strong. I did what I did best- I ran.

I ran away from my life, my problems, the mean girls, my school, the home I never had. I ran away from the grief, the loss of my parents. I never knew them. They left me in a basket in the stormy weather of NYC. I grew up in the dreary Rainy Day Orphanage for Girls. I went to a public school. I was in seventh grade when this happened.

Suddenly someone grabbed me. I screamed and thrashed in the grip of my captor-a boy of about fifteen dressed in all black held me. He had pain and grief in his eyes. His hair was messy, as though he woke up but didn't care about looks. He wore a frown. He reminded me of myself-he had obviously faced pain in his life."It's okay. I'm on your side. I'm Nico di Angelo. They're Empousai!"

Then, suddenly, we were in a cloud of darkness. It was amazing. It was like I was flying. I looked at him. He wore a bored expression, as though this were usual to him. I closed my eyes and smiled.

When I opened them again, we were at a sunny camp. "Welcome to Camp Half Blood. This is where people like us stay safe. I..." He suddenly looked tired. "I've got to go..." He limped off towards some strange looking buildings.

People like us? I wondered. I had spent my whole life knowing I was a misfit, but I never thought there were others like me.

I walked toward the cabins. A group of girls talked in a huddle. They looked over at me with curiosity. Then, a girl with blonde hair and stormy grey eyes and a kind of intimidating look walked over to me. I was about to walk away, but she said, "Hey! Are you new here? I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. I can show you around if you'd like." Daughter of Athena? "Ummmmm..." I stuttered.

"I'm so confused. First of all, Athena is a myth. That boy named Nico brought me here...he said that this is the only safe place for people like us. I didn't understand what he meant, and I don't know who 'people like us' are. " The girl paused for a moment, then started talking again.

"He didn't tell you?"

"We were being chased!"

"Oh! Well, this may come as a shock to you, but the Greek myths aren't just stories. They are all real: the monsters, heroes, gods, demigods- and you are a demigod. That means you are half god and half mortal. You are undecided for now. You can stay in the Hermes cabin. " She stopped when a boy with dark hair and sea green eyes waved to her and called her over to him. "I've gotta go, but you can have any of the camp counsellors to talk to if you need help." She ran off, saying, "Okay, I'm coming, Seaweed Brain!"

I was left all alone. I went to the Hermes cabin, trying to take it all in.

I walked into the ginormous homestead. TONS of eyes turned around and looked at me, but they all went back to their conversations. I sat in the corner for a couple of minutes. Then, everyone got up and ran out of the cabin.

I wasn't sure what they were doing, but I followed them anyway.

We went to a stone pavilion. Everyone sat down with their cabin, but there wasn't enough room at the Hermes table, so I sat on the ground in the corner.

As I ate, I slowly noticed that the other campers were throwing their food in the fire. I tried to ask what they were doing, but no one was listening.

I sat back down in my small corner and thought about all that had happened that day.

It had started as just a normal, quiet day for me, but escalated into fighting demon cheerleader Colette, finding out I had powers, and going to a strange camp only to find out I'm...a demigod. It was a lot to take in. A voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, I'm Percy," he said. As I looked up, I realized it was the boy I had seen earlier talking to Annabeth. "Uh... Hi," I said quietly. "So, you're new here. Do you like it so far?"

I thought about that for a moment. Did I like it? How could I like a place where I felt even more confused and alone than before? How could I like it if I was in this strange place where I knew nothing that was coming next? "Yes, it's fun here," I lied. "That's good. If you need anything, I'll be in the Poseidon cabin. That's-" he was interrupted by a...a...was that a centaur?! "Percy? Would you come here for a second?" The centaur called.

"Oh, I've got to go. Chiron needs me." Before I could reply, he sat up and strolled to a big table where this Chiron was eating at.

So this is how it's going to be, I thought. I wasn't comfortable with anyone here: the kids in my cabin, Percy, Annabeth. But then I thought about him- Nico Di Angelo.

I looked around for him. I finally spotted him all alone at the end of a table. Just like me.

I picked up my plate, walked over, and asked, "Um, hi. Can I sit here? There's no more room for me at the Hermes cabins table."

I don't know if I was imagining this, but I thought I saw a small smile forming on his lips. "Sure," he replied. I sat down across from him.

For some reason, of all the people here, he was the only one I felt comfortable talking to. He seemed like me, with the same problems and fears.

We talked for a while, and he told me about his father being Hades, how he wasn't accepted at the camp, and about the camp-who to avoid and who to hang out with.

After a while of talking and sharing stories, he pretty much knew everything about me and hopefully the same vice versa. The campers started flooding out of the mess hall, and I waved goodbye to Nico. He was different than anyone I had ever met. I was comfortable with him. He was a misfit, he was excluded, he was...just like...me. I never thought that I could have someone to be happy with. For the first time in my whole life, I felt complete.


	2. I WAS IN THE SHOWER

A Rivalry Broken

Chapter 2

Hey FireFishies! I hope you are enjoying my first fanfic! I have literally been waiting to write fanfic forever but I was just too lazy :/ so now I'm writing a PJO one. Please follow me for more! I'm thinking about writing one after this one about something related to this topic. I can't tell you until chapter three, because this topic is revealed in this chapter. I hope you keep reading! ~Isabel

 **Ariana's POV**

The next morning I woke up next to the lake. I had gone there to think, and I must've fallen asleep.

I hugged my arms to my chest. It was chilly, and the wind was blowing.

I slowly sat up. My tangly red hair caught on a tree branch. I untangled it from the branch and walked towards the cabins.

With each step, I realised something was different about me-a burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

I was happier. I ran to the Hermes cabin. When I walked in, a girl- Vanessa, I think- said, "umm, no offence, but have you seen your hair lately?"

That's right. I didn't bring my brush. I had come straight from school, so the only belongings I had with me were the contents in my backpack. iPod, earbuds, schoolbooks, a notebook in which I wrote school assignments in, another notebook where I wrote poems and songs. The rest of my things were at the orphanage. "I don't have my brush right now," I mumbled. "Oh...I think they have some in the camp gift shop. They have lots of essentials. Ambrosia, nectar, brushes, etc. I'm sure you'll find something there," she smiled and walked back to her bunk.

I sighed and ducked out of the cabin. I spotted the gift shop. I walked in quietly and looked around. Ambrosia, nectar, toothbrushes and toothpaste, pretty much your everyday demigod gift shop.

I picked out some essentials, and paid a couple drachmas that Nico had given me the night before. I headed toward cabin 11 and sat in my little corner.

I brushed my hair out to be silky smooth, and put my beanie on over it. If there was anything I would change about my looks, it would be my hair. It's bright red, and impossible not to notice. I usually cover it with a hat or a hoodie, so Colette wouldn't see me. I wondered what had happened to Colette.

Was she evil all this time? Or was she possessed? Thoughts swirled around my head. I looked at the watch on my wrist. It read 10:23. I hopped up and ran to the mess hall where Nico would be waiting. As soon as I spotted him, I ran over. "Hey," I said. "Hey, Ariana," he replied.

We talked like old friends. I looked at my watch again, which read 11:46. "Hey, follow me," I told him. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the woods next to the lake I had woken up next to. I slid down against a tree. He slid next to me. "So... Why are we here?" He asked.

"Well, I come here to think. It's quiet. I like it. No people to bother me..." I trailed off. He stood quickly, his eyes filled with alarm. He backed up.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Hello, my child..." A voice said. I looked around in confusion. As I looked up, I saw a sphere floating above my head. It was like a video message. A woman in dark robes and a sly smile, dark eyes, and a mischievous expression on her face greeted me. "Who...who are you?" Nico asked the woman.

"I...am Eris, the goddess of discord. Many don't know me...I guess you could say I'm forgotten. I live in the place where all of us forgotten gods go- a special place in the Underworld, and there is something important I must tell you. You, Ariana, are my child. And a dangerous quest awaits you. You must come and find me. My golden apple of discord has been stolen."

"Who cares about some stupid Apple?!"

"Silence, my child. It isn't any regular Apple. It caused the Trojan war, you know."

"Fine," I grumbled.

"You must find the apple, which is in my chamber. It-" she was cut off. The message ended. The last thing I heard was a crowd of kids coming. I collapsed to the ground.

 **~A Message From Isabel~**

WHAT! So, to recap this part of chapter two: Eris claims Ariana, and Ariana must go on a quest to save her Golden Apple of Discord. Also, I'm awesome. OKAY. let's get back to the fanfic.

 **Vanessa's POV**

Daughter of Harmonia? Who even IS Harmonia?

I was singing in the SHOWER when I heard a voice. It was calming.

I turned around to see a video message in a sphere showing a beautiful woman in long golden robes. She looked serene and happy.

She spoke to me saying I was her daughter, and that I must go on a secret quest to find Eris' golden apple of discord and get to it before she could get to it. She also said she was stuck in the Underworld in the place where all forgotten gods go.

The message was cut off before I could speak. Banging came from the bathroom door. "Are you done yet?!" Someone shouted. I finished up in silence.

I got dressed for the day with a orange CHB tee that Annabeth had given me and a cute pair of jean shorts. Then, I started walking slowly towards the Big House to tell Chiron what had happened. But then I recalled Harmonias words: that the quest must be a secret. I had to gather two people that I trusted to come with me, and they were the only ones who could know. I wouldn't dare tell anyone else. The depressing truth was that I didn't have any friends at the camp.

Everyone thought I was too obnoxious. I mean, I guess I can be a tad nosy or loud, but that's beside the point. The only person who is actually had a conversation with was that girl... What was her name? Oh! It was Ariana.

She was very quiet, and I could tell she was of the gothic type. She refused to wear her CHB shirt, and instead wore a black jacket and beanie. She was pretty unnoticed.

I wondered if I could trust her to go on this quest with me.

Pushing the thought out of my head, I pushed up my glasses, stuck my nose in the air in confidence, and marched toward the lake where she usually sat. After a couple minutes of walking, I found her lying unconscious against a tree. I gasped.

"Ariana! Ariana! Wake up! Oh, gosh, what did I do?" I moved her head around to try to get her to wake up. I braced myself for what I was about to do-slap her. Hopefully it would wake her up. I slapped her across her cheek. It obviously didn't work. She lay there pale and lifeless.

I was about to pick her up and carry her to the infirmary, but then an idea popped into my head. If I was the daughter of Harmonia, maybe I could heal her and rebalance the harmony in Ariana. I really didn't know what I was thinking, but I placed my hand over her forehead and sang. I didn't know what I was singing, it just flowed through me, and suddenly her eyes fluttered. She was awake! "Oh, gosh! What happened?" She asked. "Seriously? You don't remember?" I replied. "Well, duh, I blacked out!"

"Still! Anyway, I need your help."


	3. Quest?

**Chapter 3**

 **Ariana's POV**

"A quest? Are you joking?! I can't go on a quest!" I started to sit up. Vanessa grabbed my hand and pulled me back down. "Let me explain. My mom is Harmonia, goddess of harmony. Her Greek opposite is Eris. I need to find Eris' golden apple of discord before Eris can get to it and cause trouble, and I need your help."

"Wait..." My voice cracked. "I can't do this." I flicked my hand to the right and black smoke surrounded Vanessa. I ran away towards the cabins. On the way there, I bumped into Nico. "Hey," he said with a small (and when I say that, I just mean his frown was less...what's the word... Deep) smile. At the moment, I didn't care. I ran. I ran like a coward. I didn't stop until I got to the Hermes cabin. Heads swiveled around to look at me, and gossipy whispers started to form. A tear traced down my cheek. I didn't care what these people thought. I sunk down into my little corner to think. I couldn't go on the quest! What was Vanessa thinking?! My MOTHER was Eris, and I was assigned a quest to find the apple. Vanessa had been told to do the same. I didn't know whether to tell her or not. As the Hermes cabin campers ran out the door to play volleyball, I heard a knock on the back door. I pulled myself up. I was a mess, but I didn't care. As I opened the door, I was caught in surprise. It was Nico. "Hey," he said quietly. "I was wondering what happened today and if I could help. I-" I stopped him. And I ran. I never knew where I was going. I just knew where I didn't want to go. I just wanted to be alone, to get away from all of the people who never loved me. With each step, I felt worse. The burden was bigger than ever. I finally stopped at a clearing. Mist filled the air. When it dissipated, I saw my mother. She was sitting on an old tree stump. She wasn't fully there. It was like she was a ghost or something. "What do you want with me?!" I yelled. She ignored me. "So... Who is this Vanessa?" The way she said her name was dripping with disgust. "She's my only friend here other than...than... Nico..." I finished quietly. I picked up my confidence and kept going. "But why would you care?" I questioned. "Oh dearie... She's the daughter of Harmonia. She's searching for my apple!" "Well then maybe I'll help her! I'm done helping you!" I screamed. "Fine then..." Her face twisted into a frown as she disappeared. I charged toward the cabins. It was getting dark and the campers were heading toward the campfire area. I saw Vanessa on the outside of the Hermes group. "Vanessa! I accept the quest! But under one circumstance-Nico comes too." I hoped that this would work and that she would accept. "Uh, I-" she was stopped by Nico's voice. "What about me?" Vanessa was about to finish her sentence as I cut in. "Nico, there's something I need to tell you. I really hope you can accept, but I at least need you to listen. Vanessa found out that-"

"My mother is Harmonia," she finished for me. That was a relief. I didn't want to break the news. "Harmonia?!" his voice cracked a little. "Eris and Harmonia are enemies in mythology. They cant stand each other. I thought you would've known! Wait. What does Vanessa have to do with this?" I gave a little guilty smile. "Umm...well...Vanessa was sent to search for the apple also, to get it away from my mother. I'm on Harmonia's side. My mother has done nothing good for me. I have made my decision about her."

"You plan to take her on the quest. And me, too, I assume."

"Please, Nico! I really need someone who is experienced on this quest."

"Hey!" Vanessa cut in. "Dude, I am right here you know."

I ignored her sass and kept going. "So...will you come?"

"You know I will! You are right. You need experience, and...I don't think I can let you get hurt." His eyes glazed over with grief. I felt terrible. He had lost his big sister Bianca, and he missed her. I understood. My parents were gone and it filled me with sorrow. I couldn't let Nico down. "Today is Wednesday. Be ready to leave by dawn on Friday. Chiron can't know about this quest. It's a really big secret. Got it?" I looked at the both of them. I really did trust them. I knew my secret was safe. Later that night, as I was laying down in my little corner, I thought about the insane day that I had.

"I can't let you go..." his voice echoed down into the dark canyon.

"Just leave! Go! You will be safe! It's for your own safety!" My voice was strained. I was getting choked up. Tears flowed down my face. I didn't want it to end this way. I loved him and I didn't want to leave him, but it was for his safety. I wanted him and the camp to be safe from the monster that was my mother.

"Is this the end? Does it have to be this way?" His words boomed across the expanse.

"I can't hold on much longer!" The wind was blowing much harder. It whipped me from side to side as I was holding onto my string of life, this thin tree branch about to snap.

"Please don't! There's got to be another way! I-" his voice changed much deeper and hollow. It wasn't him. It was her shadow army commander, Walter. He came again.

"There isn't another way...you have defied your mother's wishessssss..." His tone of voice creeped up my back giving me chills. He let go of my hand as I fell into the darkness.

I awoke in a pool of sweat. I was in shock. I had never gotten that far into my dream before. This time, I had seen the boy's face.

In the darkness of Cabin 11, I thought about this boy's betrayal to me soon to come.

The boy's face floated in my mind. I knew him.

It was Nico.

 **~ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM ISABEL~**

OMG IM SO SORRY GUYS FOR A SHORT CHAPTER! I CANT EVEN RN LIKE I FEEL SO SO BAD ABOUT THIS CAUSE THIS IS LIKE MAH LIFE! TTYL GUYS IMMA GO CRY...

~ISABEL


	4. Meet Leo

**~A Message from FireFishFangirl~**

 **Hey guys! It's Isabel with Chapter 4 for ya! So literally, I'm going to try from now on to end each chapter in a cliffhanger. So…Here goes…See ya!**

 **~Isabel XOXO**

 **~Nico's POV~**

"Listen, we need to talk, Nico," Ariana said to me. I needed to talk to her too. There was something I had to ask her. Something I never would have thought I would do. Beads of sweats started to form on my forehead. I clenched my hands together. I couldn't get nervous about this. "Nico?" her voice spurred me back into the moment. "Uh….Yeah?" I hoped I didn't sound nervous or suspicious. I tried to regain my confidence as I looked into her eyes. I saw a nervous glint in her deep blue eyes. I suddenly became even more nervous. What if it was something terrible? What if her mother had done something? What if-I was interrupted by her voice. "Nico, I really need to talk to you. Now." Before I knew what was happening, she had grabbed my wrist and was dragging me towards the woods at the lake where she had been claimed. I slid down on the back of the old willow tree. I loved its gentle calm. She slid down next to me, her eyebrows knit together. She genuinely looked worried. "Before you start, I have to tell you something too."

"Okay, what is it?" she asked with a little more interest.

"Will you go out with me?" I asked. My voice shook. I felt a shiver down my spine. I was dying to know.

"Nico, I'm so sorry, but I can't. I like you and all but- well, I had a dream."

Rejection. Utter rejection. I wanted to storm off and leave her alone to show her what it felt like. But I stayed. Dreams were always a bad thing.

"Listen, Nico…in my dream, you were-"

Suddenly the willow branches swished around madly with the wind that was picking up. It grew cold. I looked around, and suddenly, everything went black.

 **~Ariana's POV~**

"Nico! Nico! Wake up!" I shook his shoulders. He didn't move. I acted on my emotions-okay, I slapped him. I saw his eyelids flutter a little bit, and my face brightened. His eyes flew open. I could've sworn I saw his eyes turn gold instead of hazel. What was that about? I pushed that strange thought out of my head. He sat up slowly. "What-What happened?" he asked. He looked tired and dazed. "Well, we were talking, and everything suddenly got really cold and strange. And then you must've blacked out," I replied. I didn't tell him the part about his eyes. I didn't want to stir up any more trouble. "What were we talking about?" he asked. "I was telling you about-nothing important, you don't need to know." I had an idea right then- if I didn't tell him about his fate, maybe I could stop it from happening. Besides, it would make our relationship awkward. I didn't want to lose him. If he knew, he would stay away from me and try not to hurt me, but I didn't care. I could stop it. I could train and practice with my powers a little bit more, and learn how to control them. I tried to convince myself that it would work. But those glowing gold eyes- the other side of my mind tried to stop me. I pushed it aside and went back to convincing myself to be courageous. I didn't know how, but it would work. "So..." he grasped for words, but apparently couldn't find what to say.

"Um... I have to go... Bye," I replied. I sat up and jogged through the woods and towards the cabins. I bumped into someone-this scrawny kid with curly hair and an elvish face.

He looked crazy.

"LEO SUPERSIZED MCSHIZZLE STRIKES AGAIN!" he yelled. I covered my ears. "Ummm," I stuttered.

He straightened his posture and held out his hand for a shake. "Valdez, Leo Valdez," he said in a James-Bond-like way.

"Ariana," I replied while shaking his hand. Suddenly his hand grew really hot. I drew mine back. "Ow! What IS that?!"

His hand burst into flames. Yeah, I'm not joking.

He blushed. "Sorry...that happens a lot. I'm a son of Hephaestus, so I have pyrokinesis and sometimes when I'm...uh...startled, I go crazy," he explained.

"Well, it's better than this," I said. I pointed my finger up toward the sky, and storm clouds gathered. Lightning struck in the distance. As I put my hand back to my side, they cleared and I saw Leo looking at me in awe.

"You should hang with my friend Jason. He can do that too. He is a son of Zeus, no wait-Jupiter! He's Roman/Greek I guess you could call it. But still cool."

Percy came running over. "Uhhhh...hi?" he said. "I saw storm clouds in the sky, and then it went back to normal. I suspect you, Mr. Supersized Mcshizzle Repair Boy. What did you do?"

"Well, Ariana-" Leo started to explain.

I crossed in front of him. "Ummm...what he means to say is that it was probably just your imagination. Right Leo?" I gave him a little head nod so he could hopefully catch on. "WHAT? OH! Yeah, your imagination." He put on a creepy fake smile. Honestly, it was extreme creepy. *shudders*

"You two are up to something...but OKAY!" Percy said as he walked away confused.

"That was a close one!" I told Leo.

"Why were we lying to Percy? Why didn't you tell him?!" he asked.

Too many questions.

I had an idea. A very good one, if I might add.

Nico would be possessed, I knew that for sure. He told me demigod dreams are always true. I couldn't trust him on this quest. Something could go wrong. The only other person I had met was-Leo. But could I trust HIM? He was kind of-well, clumsy, disorganized, and crazy. Kind of like Vanessa, I guess. If I trusted Vanessa, I could trust Leo.

"Leo," I piped up, "I have a question..."

"Yeah?" he said.

"Would you be able to-" I was interrupted abruptly.

Nico was running over. He looked mad.

"What exactly are you doing? I literally just asked if-oh, I see how it is," he said as he stormed off.

 **~A MESSAGE FROM ISABEL~**

 **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

 **XOXO ISABEL**


	5. Runaway

**~Chapter 5~**

 **~Leo's POV~**

"WAIT! Nico!" I flailed around crazily like a chicken trying to get his attention.

I ran towards him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Nico, please. It isn't what it looks like. We aren't like that. It's just that-" It was too late. He dissolved into a cloud of black smoke as he shadow traveled somewhere.

But I went with him.

If you have ever shadow traveled, you know what it feels like.

Puke. It feels like puke.

I tried to steady myself in the darkness, but every position I changed to made me dizzy. _Ugh,_ I thought. As we came out of the what-seemed-like-endless wormhole, I fell to the ground. I looked around. We were on a mountain and the sky was a beautiful sunset. We were ABOVE the clouds.

"Where are we?" I said between coughs.

Nico whipped around, obviously surprised I was there.

"Why are you here? You are the last person I want to see at this moment."

"Look, I know what you thought you saw, but it's not like that. Please believe me, little dude. Come on… please?" I flashed my best get-out-of-time-out puppy face at him.

He looked over at me with uncertainty, and-

WAIT. WAS THAT DISGUST ON HIS FACE?!

"EXCUSE ME! I'M ADORABLE!"  
He looked at me accusingly.

"I don't believe you," he said. He took a step forward his back turned, and I felt a sudden spark of anger. He was one of my best friends, and here we were fighting over a girl I didn't like in THAT WAY. I shouldn't have let my emotions control me, but anger filled me up. So….I kinda, sorta, MAYBE…..shot a fireball at him.

It hit him right in the back.

I stood in anger, waiting to throw another as he fell to the ground.

But then the anger left me. Instead I felt regret.

"Nico!" I started to run towards him, but he tried to inch away from me.

"You-You're a monster! Why would you do that? I'm your friend! I-you know what, just get away from me."

I couldn't believe what I had just heard, but Nico was right. I was a monster. I had power over fire, the element that killed my mother. I would never be able to get over that.

I looked onto him with surprise, but my thoughts clouded my judgement. I started down the mountain.

As I finally got to flat ground, I looked around me. I was in Camp Half Blood. But how? There were no mountains near CHB. That was strange. I looked behind me and the mountain was gone. It was all just a forest.

I started off to my cabin in regret and sadness. On the way, I bumped into Percy.

"Hey! So there's this cool trick I wanted to try out with you and…what's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"Nothing," I said as I walked away with my head down. I just wanted to be alone.

But then I had a thought. I didn't want to go to the noisy Hephaestus cabin full of kids to be alone. I started off to the lake.

As I finally got there, I slumped against a tree.

I heard a branch snap. I whipped around to see Ariana.

"This is my spot," she said sarcastically.

"Sorry," I tried to sound okay. I really tried. I'm normally not the depressed one around the camp, but when something big happens, I fall apart.

"So…what happened with Nico?"

"Listen…I need to know, do you _like like_ me? Nico got the wrong idea I think and…"

She interrupted me. "No way! No offense, but you're a little too…ummm….hyper sometimes. And we're just friends. Trust me."

That lifted some of the burden off my shoulders. At least I had proof. But what Nico called me-a monster. I never tried to use my powers for something like that. Nico was my friend and I would have never done that kind of thing. I wondered what made me do it. I focused in on the moment.

Ariana was staring at me. "I need to know…what happened? What did Nico do? Why are you so depressed looking?"

"To be honest, I don't even know," I started, "I followed him when he shadow traveled, and I tried to talk to him but he wouldn't listen. I guess I got really angry and I…" I grimaced at the thought of having to tell her I threw a fireball at him.

"You what Leo? What did you do?"

"I threw a fireball at him?" I laughed nervously.

Ariana stood there with her mouth and eyes wide open.

"Why?!"

"I already said that! I don't know!" My voice got louder and louder until we were both shouting.

I didn't want this to happen again. I took a deep breath, and calmed down.

"Look, Ariana, I don't know what happened. It was just like every othertime I got mad, just…more extreme with some…uh…severe consequences. Yeah, that's it!"

She shrugged her shoulders. I wondered what she was thinking.

I didn't know what had happened, but that kind of thing always meant trouble. And I didn't know how to get out of it.

 **~Nico's POV~**

I doubled over in pain after Leo left. Why would he do that? He was my friend and I trusted him.

I also thought of Ariana. I couldn't believe her.

I had never in my life felt so betrayed, and if you knew what I had gone through, that would mean a lot.

I thought when I met her that she wasn't some shallow, normal, overrated girl. But then she turned. I wondered what caused that.

My mind went wandering back to the flaming (literally) pain in my stomach and back. I curled into a ball clutching my stomach. It felt like a thousand boiling drops coming into me. I knew no one would ever come here. I had gotten a...friend to create this virtual world for me. At first sight, it looked like where you were before you came.

But I was wrong. I heard footsteps crunching on the dirt.

I looked up to see Lou Ellen. The creator.

"Guess you got stuck in your own daydream, huh? I told you!" Yet she helped me back to camp.

She took me to the infirmary, where I reluctantly lay down in a bed.

I must've fallen asleep, because the first thing that I heard was a collection of concerned voices, but the image was black.

I opened my eyes, and saw Percy, Annabeth, Lou Ellen, and Leo looking down on me. Percy had never looked so worried. Annabeth was trying to tell them all to remain calm. Lou acted as if this were an ordinary thing, but from the sound of their voices, I could tell it was not even close.

I saw Leo. His face read as regretful, but I knew it wasn't regret if he would do that in the first place.

"Nico? Are you okay? Are you awake? Can you hear me?" Annabeth asked slowly.

I weakly sat up. "I will be okay, when you get _him_ out of here." I pointed to Leo.

"What? I never got the story. Everyone just got here. What happened?" she asked a billion questions at a time.

Leo blushed and tried to shrink away from the circle. Percy turned his head.

"Leo, what's going on? I know that you know, after what happened earlier. Something happened. You can tell us," he said.

"I-I uh...I didn't mean to... I didn't know..." he stammered nervously.

"He shot a fireball at me." I explained for him. No more excuses.

"What?!"

"Leo, Why?!"

"I can't believe this!"

The voices echoed across the room where another patient was sleeping whose attendant told us to shush.

"I-I don't know...I didn't even know that I was going to do that! I promise! I would never hurt you guys!" Leo tried to explain.

The voices of anger came towards Leo. He started to back away as they started forward, until Leo started to yell.

"Alright! That's enough!" he looked so hurt, I wondered if he was maybe telling the truth. "I'm leaving," he said in anger.

Annabeth was the only one who stayed calm. "Leo, please don't leave. We can resolve this. I can help-"

She was interrupted when he slammed the door and left.

He was gone.


	6. Amnesiac in My Dream

**~Chapter 6~**

 **~Leo's POV~**

I stormed out of the infirmary, the Big House, and went straight to my cabin. I was outraged.

My "friends". The people I entrusted my life with betrayed me.

I was ready to leave the camp. I didn't fit in. I hoped of finding somewhere that I was loved.

I thought about where to go. I had no real home. I couldn't go to an orphanage; or else my powers would be exposed; my mom was dead, and my dad-well, my dad lived on Olympus, so…

I always thought they would have my back. Well, I changed my mind. These _traitors_ that called themselves my friends could never love me.

I packed my bags. I was ready to leave. I didn't know where I would go, but that place was certainly not here.

I could go to Olympus, and see what the gods could do.

Yes. That was a brilliant plan. I finished packing after many confused looks from other Hephaestus campers.

As I walked out of my cabin, I bumped into Ariana.

"Leo, please, just stay. It will all be okay. I promise. Just please.." despair settled in her eyes. I felt bad, but I had to leave. I never wanted to see them again.

I walked away in a daze. I was going to Olympus, and I didn't care about her stupid quest. I was done.

I trudged down the hill when I heard someone call my name.

"Leo!" Chiron called.

Anger bubbled up inside me like boiling water. I whirled around.

"Why does everyone want me to stay?! I've made my decision. I'm leaving!" I kept walking down Half Blood Hill. I was never coming back.

 **~Ariana's POV~**

That night I had my usual dream. I was hanging off the edge of the cliff, with Nico and his evil smile. He was possessed. He let me go, but this time, I didn't wake up. I kept falling until I hit the ground. I heard shouting coming from the darkness. Wait-I heard! I was alive. But I had to figure out what the screaming was.

I inched closer to the shouting, my sword in hand. When I got a sword, I don't know. But I held it with practice. It was about 2 feet long, with Greek markings on it reading "The Finder Has Accepted". I didn't know how I was able to read it. I advanced slowly, one foot in front of the other. The yelling got louder. It was dark, but the sword had golden sparks coming out of it.

"Hello?" I called out to the voice.

"Help!"

"I'm coming!" I could hear it much better now. I turned a couple of corners and saw a light to my left behind a ledge. I turned and found a cage, with someone in it.

Leo.

He looked so different. He was usually scrawny, but then he was so skinny, you could see his ribs through his thin shirt.

His face was streaked with dirt and blood, and his hair was longer than it usually was. It was almost to his shoulders. His eyes were pools of pain and agony. He had lost his special spark that made him Our Leo.

"W-Who are you?" he backed away in his tiny cage. How could he not remember me? I examined him. Maybe he was a clone, or a fake somehow.

He looked so tired. So desperate and hungry. I pulled out a canteen of water from my boot (what?!) and handed it to him. He drank willingly, and then told me urgently, "You helped me." There was a sudden crash. "You have to get me out of here. They will be coming in a while,"

"Who will be coming?"

"Me!" A voice echoed in the darkness. A woman….my mother. And standing next to her, eyes glazed over, staring straight ahead, was Nico.

 **~Nico's POV~**

After all that had happened in the past hours, I was still shocked. Leo was gone. I was mad at him, but I didn't mean to take it this far. I didn't know what had led me to make such a bad judgement. I never would've gotten this mad before.

After about an hour, I left the infirmary. I started off to the lake.

"What were you thinking?!"

I turned around to see none other than Ariana, the one who had found a new "friend" after she rejected me. I hadn't thought of what to say when I saw her.

"Well, hi! Just the person I want to see right now!" my voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Nico, why would you do this?! Leo is gone now, and it's all because of you! I can't believe that you would think I'm that shallow!" She crossed her arms and glared at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry that you decided to reject me, and then you prance right on over to Leo, fawning all over him. But the worst part is that you think this is my fault. I cannot believe that I ever trusted you. Or anyone for that matter." With one last glare at her, I shadow traveled away. I went to my quiet Hades cabin where I could finally be alone.

I sat down on my bed. I stared at the wall holding one last picture of Bianca, my favorite. In it, she smiled, and her eyes lit up like stars and her cheeks were a rosy pink. I missed her. She was the only one I could trust.

But I could never see her again. She was dead.

It was never the same to see her as a ghost. I missed her laugh, her smile, and her sisterly care. She was bossy sometimes, but I took those times for granted. I got up off the bed and headed for the showers. As I stood in the hot water, I felt worse and worse. But it made me feel stronger.

Thoughts floated around my mind.

 _She betrayed me,_ I thought.

 _They all betrayed me..._

 _I never needed them...I could fend for myself..._

I shook my head. That wasn't me. It was someone else trying to persuade me, which wouldn't work.

I got out of the shower and went to bed early. I was exhausted after such a long day. As soon as I hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

But of course I had a dream.


	7. Back on Mount Olympus

**~Chapter 7~**

 **~Leo's POV~**

"Leo, what are you doing here?" my father asked as I walked down the hall to the throne room.

I was determined to get to the gods. I needed them to do something, something to take away the pain of being stabbed in the back by people I thought were my friends.

I walked faster. He caught up with me. I didn't care.

"No offense or anything, but please go away," I didn't care if I suffered a punishment for saying that kind of thing.

As I finally made it to the throne room, Hephaestsus caved and let me through the huge doors. Inside, I saw all of the gods arguing. I approached and they immediately silenced. They all looked down on me accusingly before Zeus stood up.

"What are YOU doing here? You have not been allowed permission!" I gulped. Maybe I was a little nervous.

"Lord Zeus, I have come for a favor from you," I piped up nervously.

He considered this idea. "I suppose you have helped save the world...what is it that you need?"

I told him that I had a fight with some campers, and that I wanted the sadness to go away.

"Why don't you forgive your friends? You don't need us to do this," he replied quickly.

"Lord Zeus, this is one of the most depressing things that has happened to me, along with my mother's death. I have faced so much in my life. But they-"

I paused for a moment. Should I really tell him?

"They betrayed me. I thought they were my friends, but I thought wrong. They blamed me for things I didn't do. So please, I need _something_ to take the pain away,"

"You refuse to forgive your friends. I am the god of order and justice. And I would like to do my job. Sure, you saved the world, but I am the ruler here, and I make the decisions."

So much for justice.

"But-"

"Goodbye," he said in closing of our conversation.

I remember being escorted out of the throne room and going down the elevator in the Empire State. I didn't feel different. Stupid Zeus.

But as I walked out into the streets of Manhattan, I saw no one. That was unusual. The only one I saw was a woman, beautiful and regal.

She was dressed in a black dress embedded with gems. She had a tempting smile, and her eyes seemed to pull you closer.

"Leo Valdez...just the one I was looking for."

Everything went black.

 **~Ariana's POV~**

"Where would he go?!" I paced around the Hermes cabin, which was empty, considering everyone was at the campfire but me, Annabeth, Percy, some girl named Piper, and Leo's girlfriend (shocking, right?) Calypso. Nico was sitting on a bed far away from us, lost in thought.

"This is like Leo. He's hot tempered...pun not intended. When he gets mad, he gets really mad, because he normally doesn't get mad. He puts on his happy face for us."

Calypso went on with her inspirational speech while I thought.

"Wait, shouldn't we send some kind of search party for him or something?" Percy interrupted. Calypso blushed a little. Hmmm...I would have to figure them out later.

I looked around. They all looked so casual, not counting Calypso and Percy, who looked sad in a childish kind of way.

"Percy, why do you look sad? Shouldn't you be worried?"

"He's my buddy! We..." he lowered his voice sheepishly. "We listen to Set Fire to the Rain by Adele together..."

Finally something I could laugh about. In fact, we all laughed, even Calypso. "What? This isn't funny!" Percy said as he stifled a giggle.

These people were a little strange to me. But they seemed trustworthy. I felt different than I ever had felt before. I had opened up. I felt more free.

I felt like a whole new person. Usually, I would be trying not to be seen, but now...I had to be a hero.

"Guys, what about the quest? Nico can't-" I stopped myself. Did I just tell him? Oh, no.

Suddenly Nico piped up. He ran to me. "What?" He grabbed my arm and jerked me towards him. "Tell me," he hissed in an angry voice. I was frightened, and tried to pull away, but his scrawny arm was surprisingly strong at the moment.

"I can't say," I said.

He moved closer angrily. He was inches away from my face, his eyes gold.

"Nico, stop! What is wrong with you, man?!" Percy sat up and shoved him away.

"I-I have to go," I said as I pushed open the door. I heard them calling for me. But I didn't care.

I went to the campfire and grabbed Vanessa from a log. "We need to go, now. We need to find Leo for the quest; Nico is already being possessed.

"Possessed?! What?!" She said as I dragged her to the lake. I had hidden a bag there full of the necessities, since I practically lived there. I took the bag from behind my tree and slung it over my shoulder. "Let's go," I said.

Vanessa followed me to the camp entrance, where I looked back and wondered if I would regret my decision.

"Ariana!" Percy called as he marched up the hill.

I ran. Vanessa ran, too. I had to get away.

I ran to the bottom of Half Blood Hill to find a woman, in regal, black robes.

"Hello, mother," I said, emotionless.

"Ariana," she said. She sounded a little muffled. "I know you want your little friend, but to find him, you will have to get my apple. Bring me the apple, and your friend will be released. You have three days. Now, the Apple is in the place of the Olympians residence-Olympus, of course."

 **~MWAHAHAHAHA MESSAGE~**

 **I HAVENT BEEN HERE IN AWHILE**

 **~Isabel**


	8. Stolen Song

**Chapter 8**

 **~A MESSAGE FROM ISABEL...AGAIN~**

 **HIYA FOLKS! jk...what was I even thinking when I said that? Ok, anyway, I wanted to tell y'all that I am surely alive and I have just been busy lately and I will be posting more now since its summer :)**

 **~Isabel**

 **~Nicos POV~**

 **(The night that Leo ran away)**

I usually have strange dreams, but this one is the weirdest and most dark I had ever experienced.

I was in a dark, fiery place which I soon recognized as the Underworld. A large cavern formed above me.

I heard someone screaming.

I walked towards the screams, coming from outside the cavern.

Suddenly, a woman in black robes brushed past me. I recognized her as Ariana's mother, Eris. I started to follow her, but suddenly the dream changed. I was in pitch black darkness.

I couldn't see anything.

"You're mine now," a deep voice called out to me. And suddenly, I could see. It was like I was watching a video of Camp Half Blood. I saw myself, being avoided by people and my friends betraying me. I could see Ariana, as she was scolding me about making Leo leave.

I didn't need them.

 **~Vanessa's POV~**

"Ummm...Ariana? Who was that?" I said as the creepy woman faded away.

"M-My mom," she said.

I blushed. "Oh," I said quietly.

Suddenly, she was shaken out of her trance. "But we have to go. You heard her- we have three days. Let's just get Leo back."

With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a tornado and jumped on it. "Hop on," she said.

Reluctantly, I climbed the small tornado. It surprisingly held me up, even though tornadoes are literally just air.

We flew through the water until we came to dry land. She slowly made the tornado smaller. We walked to the city and luckily, I had money to get a taxi to take us to the Empire State Building where Olympus was.

As we stood outside the building in the pitch black, I thought of something. "How are we going to get in?!"

"I'm trying to figure that out." Ariana sat down against the side of the building, flustered.

I slumped against the building, too. I put my hands in my pockets and found my phone and earbuds. I turned some music on and I must've fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, a woman in white robes was in front of me. "Mom?!" Ariana was still there, but she couldn't see Harmonia. She was just sitting and thinking frustratingly.

"My dear Vanessa, you can't give the apple to Eris. It's wrong. She will use it to release evil into the world. Get the apple and when you do, destroy it. Eris' power is too strong. She is the goddess of chaos and cannot be trusted. To get the apple, you must use your power."

"Power? What power? Wait!" I tried to finish as she faded away.

I awoke with a deep breath. I opened my eyes and took out my earbuds. Ariana looked over. "What's wrong?" She said.

"N-nothing," I said. "Just a bad dream,"

"Okay," she muttered.

I pulled up my chill playlist. It was mostly composed of classical meditation music so I could relax when I was stressed out. I set it on shuffle and a new song came up. I had never downloaded it, but somehow I knew it. It was in another language-Greek. I didn't know how I knew, but I did.

I sang along to it.

"akoúsei na tragoudíso na akoúsete tin klísi mou ptósi ypó ton élenchó mou"

Ariana immediately turned toward me. Her eyes were glassy.

"Ariana!" I put my hand on her shoulder. My hand suddenly glowed white.

"Wake up! Can you hear me? Get up!"

She followed my commands.

"Whoa," I said in awe. I could control people.

The greek song. It had triggered this. My power. Harmonia. She was the goddess of harmony. Music must've been my power.

"afypnízo." Instantly, she was taken out of the trance.

I fell back on the brick wall of the building. I was suddenly tired. The magic must've been too much for me.

Once I felt a little better, I told Ariana about my power, who was still standing over me in confusion.

"We could use it to get past the security guard."

"Brilliant!" She said.

We were to sneak in at 6:00 AM.

 **~Leo's POV~**

I woke up in a cage in a dark, hot cavern. I was all alone. I was thirsty, hungry and exhausted.

I didn't even know who I was. I just woke up in a cage. I didn't have a name, for all I knew. I didn't know about who my parents must've been. Or how old I was. Or why I was in a cage.

All I knew was this dark cavern.

I was suddenly angry. Why did I have to be here? Was this where I lived? Why couldn't I be living a normal life, not in a cage?

My hand suddenly sparked. I freaked out. I raised it to see a ball of fire in it.

I was a freak. Maybe that was why I was in a cage. I could make fire. That was certainly weird.

I suddenly heard footsteps. A woman in black robes approached me with a scrawny kid in a black t-shirt beside her. His eyes were gold and it looked like he was half asleep.

"Oh, they're going to love this!" The woman said to the boy.

I was confused, but in the five minutes of my life that I remembered, that was what I had always been.

 **~A message from Isabel~**

 **Hi guys! It's me with another chapter. I'm so so so sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I have been busy and kind of forgotten about this Fanfiction. I hope you'll be happy to hear that I've been working on other fanfics though. I'm thinking about writing them first, then publishing them chapter by chapter so I have more time.**

 **With love and fangirlishness,**

 **ISABEL**


	9. The Apple's Curse

**Chapter 9**

 **~Ariana's POV~**

I stayed up all night as Vanessa slept. I couldn't believe Nico was already possessed. Leo didn't know who I was. Vanessa had finally found her power at the best time. My emotions were all over the place.

Soon enough, my black leather watch beeped at 6:00. I woke Vanessa up, and she gave me her earbuds so I wouldn't be controlled by the music.

i jammed them into my ears and blasted her music really loud. It hurt my eardrums, but it was for the best.

We pushed open the doors, and walked up to the desk that held the security guard.

"600th floor, please," I shouted over the music blasting in my ears.

He muttered something I couldn't hear. I watched as Vanessa sang, and the guard nodded and gestured toward the elevator door.

Vanessa waved me to the elevator.

I walked over, taking the headphones off. My ears rang with the aftermath of the loud music.

As I walked into the elevator, Vanessa pushed a button, closing the doors. "How do we get to the 600th floor? There's no button," I inquired.

Vanessa opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by the elevator shaking like an earthquake had suddenly started.

I grabbed the handrail on the wall, steadying myself.

But just as fast as it had started, the shaking stopped.

The doors opened to a bright, populous expanse.

A palace gleamed in the distance, a large, golden castle.

We stepped out of the elevator onto the white marble floor of a courtyard. We ran through the courtyard and towards the palace.

When we finally took our last step, we were out of breath. At least we had gotten there.

I bent over to catch my breath. Vanessa did the same. We looked around.

To the left was another garden. To the right was a large fenced in area that looked like a small park. It was heavily guarded, making me suspicious.

But the way I knew the apple was there was the magnetic feeling inside my chest. It was like it was pulling me. I took a few steps closer to the fence.

I felt weaker. I stepped away from it and instantly felt back to normal.

"That's it," I said decisively, "But I don't think I can get near it. Too much power."

"We have to get in there. I'll be right back," Vanessa said. She walked towards the fence with ease, obviously not feeling the sickness I had before. She nonchalantly chatted with the guards, and they all simultaneously nodded their heads and marched off to the left.

She sashayed back humorously. "Done," she said with a smile.

I didn't even want to ask. I just shrugged my shoulders. I stepped to the right again, almost forgetting what it would do to me.

I felt nauseous. I took another step, thinking I could endure the pain, but I couldn't. I doubled over in pain, the world spinning around me.

"Ariana! What's going on?" Vanessa rushed over to help me up.

I leaned against a short stone wall leading to the garden. I closed my eyes to stop the dizziness, but nothing helped. I couldn't get away from the nausea and pain.

"Too...much...power," I only got three words out.

"Well, I'll get it. I don't want you to be in pain," she said after a short thought. She helped me move the other way to feel better. I sat on the wall as Vanessa ran towards the garden.

 **~Vanessa's POV~**

I burst through the gates to the garden. The apple sat on a pedestal, glowing as you'd expect from a children's book.

I inched closer to the pedestal. I reached for the apple, almost touching it, when a wave of electricity shattered through me.

I heard a voice.

"Eris put on a curse on this apple. Her offspring are the only ones able to touch it. I tried to break the curse so you could get it for me, thinking Ariana was an enemy, but it backfired, and later I realized that she was your friend. She could've hurt you while you were asleep, but she didn't, showing me she can be trusted. But the catch is that the curse only works on Olympus. Use your power to get her to the apple without her dying. I-" Her voice faded from my mind, and I couldn't hear her anymore.

I ran past the open garden gates and back to Ariana. She looked up at me expectantly, hoping to see the apple in my hands.

"What happened? Why didn't you get it?" she asked.

"You're the only one able to touch it. Eris put a curse on the apple to make sure no one but you could get to it, and my mother fought back thinking you were an enemy. But her spell didn't work. It's making you sick. But the good news is that she knows you're trustworthy now." I tried to lighten the mood after all that I had just explained.

"Seriously?! You've got to be kidding," she grumbled.

"I think I might know how to get you there without...dying," I finished.

"How?" she questioned.

After explaining my plan, we got to work. I grabbed a wheelbarrow from beside the path to the garden and dumped Ariana inside.

"pígaine gia ýpno," I sang.

Ariana's eyelids fell as she drifted off to sleep. I wheeled the wheelbarrow into the garden, keeping it steady so she wouldn't fall out.

Once we got to the pedestal, I grabbed her arm and used it to pick the apple up.

I wheeled her out of the garden triumphantly. We had gotten the apple.

"afypnízo," I sang to wake her up.

Her eyes opened.

"Ariana! We did it! We got the apple!"

But she didn't reply. She didn't even move. I looked closer at her eyes, but they were glassy.

She wasn't awake.


	10. Hypnotic Transformation

**YET ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

 **Hey guys! I've actually been writing a lot lately! So, I think now that I have a schedule for life and stuff, I can make time to write here and (hopefully) please you all :)**

 **But, I have been busy with two plays to rehearse for, yearbook meetings, and school. It's kind of hard to write after school because of these things, so I'll mostly be writing during study hall and computer class.**

 **Back to the story,**

 **Love, Isabel**

 **~Leo's POV~**

I backed away as much as I could in a cage. It's kind of hard, though, when you have two feet of space.

"Who are you? Where am I? What's wrong with him? Who am I?" I launched my questions at her.

"Silence," she said with a flick of her wrist. I tried to respond, but my voice wouldn't start. This was getting weirder and weirder. Magic was real?

She turned to the boy in black. She whispered something to him, and he nodded plainly. He made his way in a sleepwalk-type of way the other way, and suddenly, he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

I wanted to ask, or say something, but I still couldn't speak. It was like I didn't know how to talk.

The woman smirked and went back to whatever she was doing before. I slumped back to the side of the cage and closed my eyes.

 **~Vanessa's POV~**

"ARIANA! WAKE UP!" I shook her. Her eyes were white and glassed over, but she was unresponsive.

I scrambled for what to do.

My singing wouldn't work, and this didn't seem like something to heal with a first aid kit.

I sat on the short wall, trying to get my thoughts together. To make a plan, I had to calm down.

But I couldn't. This was all my fault.

THE GODS. I was on Olympus, for crying out loud; I could ask the gods for help.

I lifted the wheelbarrow up and rolled it into the huge, golden entrance.

I drove it down the large hall. I looked around, but even the beauty of Olympus couldn't distract me.

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice said from in front of me. One of the giant pillars spoke, but it wasn't a pillar. It was a giant version of a human.

"I need to speak to the gods, please," I requested, trying to stay firm.

Instead, I got carried out, wheelbarrow and all, back to the front entrance of the palace.

"Wait! Stop! PUT ME DOWN!" I thrashed in between his two huge fingers.

I groaned as I plopped back down on the cobbled path.

"Now what?!" I said aloud, frustrated.

"I might be able to help."

I turned around towards the voice, and guess who was there? Annabeth.

"Um, hi," I said sheepishly. I had forgotten that Ariana and I had run away from camp. We didn't think anyone would come looking for us.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned but calm.

I explained about my mother, and Ariana's heritage, and the apple, and everything that had happened so far.

She just listened and nodded her head.

"We might have to sneak into the palace. I'm technically allowed to be here. I designed this place. But there are risks-if we get caught, there might be a punishment worse than death waiting for us. The gods can be cruel." she said, deep in thought.

Thunder boomed in the distance. "Well, there goes the Starbucks on Main Street," she joked, trying to calm me down.

I tried to laugh a little, but I was too stressed from all that had happened in the past days.

We took the wheelbarrow and Annabeth walked through the giant entrance with a long stride and her head held high. She was dressed in normal camp attire-her orange CHB shirt, jeans, and she had a New York Yankees cap hanging out of her back pocket. Maybe she was a fan.

The guard that picked me up before looked suspiciously at me, until Annabeth said, "She's with me. I'm on special design business." She smiled at him innocently, and he let us in, still staring at me.

We kept walking until we made it to two golden doors with intricate patterns etched into them. Another guard, whom I hadn't seen before, opened the door for us as we strode in.

The gods were all sitting on their large thrones, all decorated differently. They seemed to be arguing about something, which for some reason, didn't surprise me.

When we walked in, they all froze.

The one in the middle, Zeus, I guessed, stood up and said, voice booming, "What do you want?"

"Uh-" I stuttered quietly, a little startled. I never imagined the gods.

Luckily, Annabeth came to my rescue. She stepped in front of me, saying, "Lord Zeus, our friend here-" she stopped and gestured to the wheelbarrow as I held up one side, "has...uhh..fallen asleep, I guess you could call it, and nothing can wake her up. We were hoping you could do something."

"Ahh...a daughter of Eris...with a child of Harmonia. How...unusual." he mused.

"Please..." I said quietly.

One of the women stood up slowly. She wore a long, pale green dress, unlike some of the gods. One even wore a hawaiian floral shirt and boating shorts.

"Brother, you said we'd work on restoring harmony to the mortals. I've seen their quest. They deserve it. And this one-" she pointed to Annabeth, "has recreated Olympus in such a way that has made not only you happier, but the rest of us too. Her request should be fulfilled."

He tried to interject but he knew she was right. I smiled sneakily, but hid it so I wouldn't get in trouble. Who knew how bad the punishments were on Olympus.

"As you wish," he said almost mockingly. He waved a guard over, whispered in his ear, and closed his eyes and sighed annoyedly as the guard sped away. A few moments later, the guard was back with another god. He was in black robes and dark features.

Zeus gestured to Ariana and I stepped back a little with the wheelbarrow still in hand. The new god tried to smile at me, but he apparently didn't do that much, so it was more of a grimace. "This is Hypnos, the god of sleep," a goddess sitting upon a simple white stone throne explained. Annabeth's eyes flashed, as if she knew her. It must've been Athena, her mother. I could kind of see why the demigods didn't really like their parents.

Hypnos held his hand over Ariana's eyes. Her eyelids fluttered, and suddenly, she was awake, drawing a large breath.

Finally.

~ **YET ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR~**

 **IM ACTUALLY ACTIVE WHAT**

 **~IZZY**


	11. The Final Battle

**~A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR~**

 **SERIOUSLY IM INACTIVE AGAIN IM SORRY**

 **~IZZY**

~Ariana's POV~

I was ripped from the darkness that was the curse. I really opened my eyes to see Vanessa and some man leaning over me in a toga. I sat up, looked around, and realized I was in a throne room. My eyes widened. This must be Olympus.

Vanessa wrapped her arms around me, saying, "Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're okay!" (which is something she doesn't normally say, she's not much of a hugger)

I didn't know what to say. I also didn't know what I had missed while I was asleep. Was Leo okay? Where was Nico?

Thoughts clouded my head, and when they cleared up, I realized Annabeth was there. How did she find us?

Suddenly, a loud voice thundered across the room. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! I'VE DONE ENOUGH FOR YOU!"

I stepped out of the wheelbarrow and we hurried out of the room. When the ginormous doors closed behind us, Annabeth and Vanessa let out a huge breath and started laughing. I did too, once we were out of that hallway.

I stepped out into the sunshine that covered Olympus. It warmed my skin, freezing from being asleep in that huge, cold throne room.

I decided that Annabeth deserved a thank you. "Listen, Annab-" I started, but I was cut off by the coldness of her voice.

"Why would you just leave like that?! You aren't experienced in this. You don't know what you're doing!" She was furious, something I had expected to see out of her sometime but had never experienced.

I tried to interrupt, but she just said, "No. You're not going to interrupt. No excuses. You're coming back with me."

She pulled my arm. I tried to get away, but she was strong. I guess she was right-we weren't experienced in this. If we couldn't get out of a teenage girl's grip, we couldn't fight against goddesses and monsters. What were we even thinking?

I reluctantly followed her into the elevator that took us there and into the lobby of the Empire State Building. We walked a while until I got exhausted.

"You can't even walk three miles. How did you think you could fight without training?" She said, shaking her head.

She then stopped walking. "How did you even get over here so quickly?" She asked, confused.

"Um, well..." I took a deep breath. "I have powers."

"And what are these powers exactly, and where are they from? Or should I say, whom?"

"I can make these-" I thought for a moment, "clouds of darkness. I used one to take us across the water."

"I asked you two questions. Who's really your godly parent?!" she asked annoyedly. She crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

I contemplated telling her for a moment. I could lie and say someone else was my mother. "Eris," I said finally.

Her eyes widened. "We need you back at camp. NOW." She tightened her grip on me and we kept walking quickly until we reached the water that I had crossed.

"Do it again," she said, gesturing to the huge expanse of water.

"Okay," I said, concentrating. I focused on my power and brought it out of me to create another tornado.

I willed it to be larger. I marveled in its darkness. It truly was amazing. Until I couldn't control it anymore. I let go of it by mistake, not knowing what it would do.

I was sucked into the huge swirl of blackness and wind. I didn't know where I was going.

It was finally over after who knows how long. I opened my eyes and I was in a dark cavern, lit the same way as it was in my recurring dreams.

I stood up and looked around. I drew the knife I had in my boot and carried myself towards the sound of screaming. Leo was here. And I got the feeling Nico was, too.

I inched closer to where Leo would be kept.

I walked a bit more, and finally, after turning a few corners, I found my mother.

She was torturing him somehow-he was curled up in a ball, drenched in sweat and what I hoped wasn't blood.

She held his life in the palm of her hand. He was probably already on his way to death, if that was what my mother intended.

I rushed toward them, hoping to stop it somehow, but I was suddenly grabbed by a huge, yellowed hand. It had sprung from the ground, holding me in its grip. It seemed to be some sort of skeleton.

I wondered what it was, until Nico stepped out from behind my mother. His powers must've been amplified here as a son of Hades. He was possessed.

"Nico, don't do this," I pleaded as the hand holding grew tighter.

Leo was writhing in pain on the ground.

"Ariana," my mother finally spoke up. "why do you always seem to disappoint me?" Her voice was cold, but smooth.

Tears streaked down my face. I closed my eyes, but opened them again to try to find some way to escape.

But I knew that there was no way.

 **~Leo's POV~**

I didn't know much about myself in that moment, but all I knew was that I knew this girl. I knew that the woman controlling me-no, killing me-was evil and that she was killing the girl too.

The space inside my brain that was confused was clouded by pain, a pain I couldn't stop. I wished it would end, but it just kept coming, waves of some sort of magic coming from the woman.

The girl fell limp in the creature's bony fist. The monster threw her down, and sunk back into the ground. It was quiet. The pain ended, as I lay there in the cage, sweating and bleeding.

With a wave of her hand, the cage disappeared and I stood up, slowly. I limped over to the girl, hoping for a sign of life. She was breathing, but slowly.

The boy controlling the monster stepped over, looking menacing. He shoved me out of the way, grabbing the girl and shaking her awake. When her eyes finally opened, he threw her over the edge of the canyon. Her life was hanging by a held hand, a thread of confusion.

"Nico, please," she pleaded. She was crying now, begging for his mercy. His eyes flashed for a moment, going from gold to hazel. Then, they changed completely. His grip grew stronger, trying to pull her up.

But the woman wasn't satisfied with this; she cast a spell and the boy was back to the self I knew, and he did just what I hoped he wouldn't do.

He let go.


End file.
